The Astonishing Acceleration of the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

Porsche’s electric vehicle, the Taycan Turbo GT, has reportedly set an astonishing record in Car and Driver magazine’s acceleration test. It achieved an incredible 0-60 mph (about 96 km/h) time of 1.9 seconds, breaking the 2-second barrier. This is the fastest time in the magazine’s 69-year history.

Moreover, it reliably beats the catalog figure of 2.2 seconds in real-world testing, which is truly Porsche’s hallmark.

This record surpasses impressive competitors like the Lucid Air Sapphire, Tesla Model S Plaid, and even the magazine’s previous record holder, the Ferrari SF90. Notably, this test was done without the lightweight “Weissach Package” installed. With that package, there’s potential for even faster times.

Reliability and Reproducibility of the Acceleration Performance

According to Dave VanderWerp of Car and Driver, this record is no fluke but highly reproducible. The test accounted for wind and other factors by averaging the fastest times in both directions. The Taycan Turbo GT recorded 1.898 seconds in one direction and 1.910 seconds in the other, showing remarkably consistent acceleration performance.

This result clearly demonstrates how Porsche’s decades of racing car development experience continue to benefit the electric vehicle era. Over 70 years of motorsport expertise has merged with cutting-edge EV technology to produce such astonishing performance.

A New Stage in the Acceleration Performance Race

In the past, breaking the 200 mph (about 320 km/h) top speed barrier was the benchmark for supercars. In the 1980s, Porsche challenged this with the 959, reaching 197 mph (about 317 km/h). However, as many cars surpassed 200 mph, top speed became less meaningful except for a select wealthy few.

A similar trend seems to be happening in acceleration performance. In the 1990s, when typical economy cars took 12 seconds to reach 0-60 mph, sports cars doing it in 5 seconds was remarkable. Now, even a Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid can match that, and a standard Tesla Model 3 can accelerate in the low 3-second range.

In this context, the significance of a 1.9-second time might be debated. Still, Porsche’s achievement of such a record remains highly impressive.

Porsche’s Challenge in the Electric Vehicle Era

Porsche has always pursued cutting-edge technology since the internal combustion engine era. Today, that commitment continues in the electric vehicle age. The Taycan Turbo GT’s astonishing acceleration is proof that Porsche relentlessly pursues top-tier performance in EVs.

However, the practical meaning of such extreme acceleration on public roads is debatable. Breaking 2 seconds delivers intense G-forces to occupants, raising questions about comfort. Opportunities to fully exploit such extreme performance on public roads will be rare.

Nevertheless, Porsche’s ongoing pursuit of such records is highly meaningful. The technologies and insights gained from pushing performance limits will surely benefit everyday cars. Improvements in electric vehicle performance also translate into practical advances like longer range and shorter charging times.

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT’s astonishing acceleration record sets a new benchmark for super sports cars in the electric vehicle era. We look forward to Porsche continuing to innovate and lead in EV technology.